Fortunate Son
Fortunate Son is a song recorded by the American band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was released in September 1969, at the height of the Vietnam War and high levels of unrest in the United States surrounding the war, and soon became an anti-war anthem and pop-culture icon.' ' Issues being protested: * U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War. ** More specifically, the song goes into detail on the injustices within the US Draft, and how the rich or the powerful could game the system and force the common man to fight a war on their behalf. *** So, not only was Fortunate Son an anti-draft song, it was also a critique on class divisions within the United States.' ' Production: ''' Written by John Fogerty around November 1969 and produced in Berkeley, California. Released on Album "Willy and the Poor Boys"' ' Lyrical Samples:' '1' Some folks are born made to wave the flag Ooh they're red, white and blue And when the band plays Hail to the Chief Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord ' ' '2' Some folks are born, silver spoon in hand Lord, don't they help themselves, no But when the taxman comes to the door Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yeah ' ' 'Chorus' It ain't me, it ain't me I ain't no millionaire's son, no no It ain't me, it ain't me I ain't no fortunate one, no '''Lyrical Analysis: ' First Verse The first verse immediately highlights the divide in 1960s America over the Vietnam war by dividing the population into those "made to wave the flag," and those who aren't. Those who are still patriots during the bloodshed and rising mistrust in the government might are pretty much "...red, white, and blue." Those who aren't so well-molded into such a role either protested or fled the USA. Second Verse The second verse refers to the saying "born with a silver spoon in one's mouth," indicating that someone is born into great wealth rather than working for it. While this line can be interpreted as a snide remark at the rich, critiquing how many of them didn't even do anything to get where they are at, in the context of the Vietnam War, the line laments not just financial gaps and divisions, but also how the wealthy or those with connections were drafted in much smaller numbers compared to the ordinary. In short, John Fogerty sees a rich-man's war being fought largely by the ordinary American. 2nd Chorus The 2nd chorus sets up the advantage the "millionare's son" has versus those who "ain't a fortunate one". John Fogerty, who was drafted shortly after 1965, speaks personally in these lines, and describes how those wealthy enough to go to college could avoid the draft, be assigned only non-field jobs if they were drafted, or suspiciously avoid the draft completely. Legacy Significance Aside from being one of the most well-recognized anti-war songs, the song still mantains its meaning today. It was deeper than just the Vietnam War, because it protests WHO is fighting, not just WHAT we were fighting. The song is also often used to protest Elitism, as the discussion of the ways the wealthy can escape the horrors of war throughout the song allows for an indirect protest of the war through criticism of class divides. Contemporary Connections The song is still used to this day not just to protest military actions, but also to draw attention to and protest elitism in Western society. It’s use in popular culture (e.g. Forrest Gump, advertisements, modern-day covers) has also kept the song in the spotlight.